Islamabad, Mar 07, 2025: The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a major change to curb time-wasting by goalkeepers.
From next season, goalkeepers holding onto the ball for more than eight seconds will concede a corner kick instead of the previously ignored indirect free-kick rule.
Referees will be encouraged to manually count down from five, ensuring goalkeepers are aware of the impending penalty.
Trials conducted in Italy, Malta, and England’s Premier League 2 showed minimal disruptions, with only four goalkeepers sanctioned over hundreds of matches.
FIFA has already confirmed the rule’s implementation at the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup in the USA.
The issue of time-wasting in football is not new. Previously, teams exploited back-passes to goalkeepers, leading to low-scoring tournaments such as Euro 1992.
The subsequent rule change, banning goalkeepers from handling back-passes, significantly increased goal averages in subsequent tournaments.
Despite modern football’s focus on high pressing and ball-playing goalkeepers, time-wasting through prolonged ball-holding remains a concern.
The new rule aims to deter such tactics by introducing a more severe consequence—defending a corner.
With set-piece situations playing a crucial role in modern football, teams known for their prowess, such as Arsenal, will need to adjust their approach.
